I'm Not Dying (You Don't Have to Be)
by cries havoc
Summary: Inspired by the prompt: Anna holding Elsa after a nightmare or injury, saying, "Don't worry, I've got you." [Elsanna unless you really don't want it to be.]
1. Chapter 1

_Based on an Anon prompt: Anna holding Elsa after a nightmare or injury, saying "Don't worry, I've got you," or something along those lines._

Anna ran through the palace halls, fighting to tame her hair into two braids and not trip over her feet. She was late to breakfast, again. After Elsa's coronation, after North Mountain, after _Hans_, Anna and Elsa had taken to eating breakfast together each day. The redhead would have preferred a standing lunch or dinner arrangement, but as queen, her sister's schedule was packed during the day and important meetings often ran well past the evening meal. Anna was slowly getting used to the earlier start to her day, but this particular day she was almost ten minutes late.

"Elsa will be done with her first cup of coffee by now," Anna muttered to herself, almost slamming into a servant as she hurtled around the last corner that separated her from the queen, and from food. "Sorry!" The princess yelled back, barely slowing down. She skidded into the large hall, puffing a bit, and tried to act nonchalant as she approached her sister.

"Hey Anna, good morning," Elsa said without looking up as the princess neared.

Anna tilted her head, taking in Elsa's subdued tone, the slump of her sister's shoulders, how the elder leaned heavily on her right arm, fingers massaging behind one ear. Anna sat down next to the queen, looking around her sister's arm to note a real dress made of fabric rather than ice, and to see that Elsa's eyes were closed, her face drawn in pain, free hand clutched around a half empty mug of coffee as the queen breathed evenly and slowly through her nose while her lips were a pale thin line, unmoving.

"Are you okay, Elsa?" Anna felt dumb asking, obviously Elsa was not okay. "I mean – you look like you're in pain – are you feeling unwell – do you need me to handle any meetings today?" Anna put a hand on Elsa's shoulder, sliding it slowly behind Elsa's neck, letting the warmth of her skin trickle away against the queen's natural chill.

Elsa exhaled audibly, still through her nose, mouth twitching. Her eyes remained closed as she spoke, voice raspy, "I'm just tired, Anna. I slept poorly and I may have an ear ache. I took some medicine a few minutes ago, so I should be fine."

Anna hummed in response, moving her fingers against the base of Elsa's skull, smiling when her sister's eyelashes fluttered at the slight pressure. "When did your head start hurting?"

"Last night," Elsa said, taking a sip of her coffee and glancing at Anna around the hand still rubbing against her right temple.

"And did you take medicine last night? Like what you took this morning?"

Elsa hesitated. "Well, yes, but –"

"And did it help?" Anna pushed, leaning closer to the older woman as her breakfast and coffee were placed on the table.

"Clearly not, Anna," Elsa flicked her fingers at the princess, sending the barest flurry of snow at the younger woman.

Anna blinked as the flakes melted in midair harmlessly. "So why do you think it'll help now? Do you have any urgent meetings today or can you go back to bed and try to sleep?" Anna withdrew her hand, rolling her eyes when Elsa's lips twitched again, betraying how much the warm touch had been helping the queen's headache.

"It's just an ear ache, Anna. The country doesn't need to grind to a halt." Elsa said crossly, reaching for her own breakfast, now cold in front of her.

"Yeah, but if you barely slept then you won't have your full faculties to pay attention in your meetings. Either let me cover for you or cancel. I don't care which." Anna spoke around a mouthful of eggs, earning a glare from Elsa. Anna merely shrugged, swallowing her food before continuing, "I mean, honestly it might be best to just cancel your morning. I'll take care of anything that can't be rescheduled, but otherwise you should try to get some sleep and I'll keep an eye on you."

It wouldn't be the first time in the past several months that Anna had stepped up to help her big sister. Running Arendelle was, ideally, a two person job. The young, single queen found herself overwhelmed at times, and pleasantly surprised when her sister had risen to the occasion, proving herself in front of foreign dignitaries and local gentry both, and showing a previously unknown skill for trade discussions. Elsa was still better at the formal, political double-talk, and at putting on airs when necessary, but Anna's directness and spunk had helped stabilize Arendelle's position with neighboring countries and estates. The sisters were a formidable team, and now as winter set in (naturally), there was not a king or duchess in a 100 kilometer radius who didn't know it.

Elsa groaned, pressing a hand behind her ear again, "I don't know, Anna. I honestly think I'll be fine if that damned medicine kicks in, but until then, yes, I'm rather useless." She sighed, looking pathetically over at her sister, who noticed light bags under the queen's eyes and a few too many blonde hairs out of place in Elsa's long braid. "I can barely think around the pain in my ear and my neck."

"That settles it, then, let me see what's on your schedule for today and I'll make the arrangements. You finish up," Anna gestured to their food and coffees, "and get back to bed." She smiled gently at Elsa, "Once I've squared things away, I'll come check on you. Don't you worry, Elsa, I've got you covered."

Smiling through her obvious discomfort, Elsa shook her head minutely, "I do appreciate it, dear, but I'm not dying. I'll just go curl back up under my covers and try to sleep. You needn't fret."

"You don't have to be dying for me to take care of you Elsa," Anna insisted, pressing a kiss to her sister's aching temple, lingering for a few seconds as she heard and felt Elsa hum at the contact. "Neither of us needs to be in mortal danger. We can just love each other and be there, even for the little things."

Elsa blushed, chastised, and stood, leaving what remained of her breakfast untouched. "You're absolutely right, Anna." The queen placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "I'll be upstairs, okay?"

When Anna nodded, Elsa leaned down and returned the kiss, pressing dry, cool lips against Anna's rapidly warming cheek.

Anna watched Elsa walk out of the hall, slowly wrapping her fingers around her still steaming mug of coffee. Her cheek tingled and her heart raced as the blonde left her sight. Anna huffed a sigh, pulling a stack of papers over from where the queen had been sitting, mentally preparing herself for whatever official matters required her attention, and fighting not to let her mind wander too much to the bedroom upstairs where her sister would be waiting on her. _Maybe if I massage behind her ear that'll help the pain?_ Anna thought, immediately shaking her head and rereading the top page of Elsa's notes. _Damnit, focus Anna, or you'll be no help at all_.


	2. Chapter 2

_Based on an Anon prompt: Anna holding Elsa after a nightmare or injury, saying "Don't worry, I've got you," or something along those lines._

_Lalala part two!_

Anna took the stairs two at a time, pushing her bangs out of her eyes only to have them flop back. Grumbling, she blew at them to little effect. The morning had flown by, with only brief meetings regarding the upcoming Winter Solstice ball Elsa had decided (after weeks of badgering persuasion from Anna) to hold, that could not be rearranged. Now it was nearly lunch time and the princess hoped her sister had been able to find some relief in sleep.

Knocking out of habit only to open the queen's bedroom door scant seconds later, Anna stopped short and glared across the room, hands settling on her hips. "Elsa!"

The blonde jumped, not having heard the younger's entrance, and lookup from the book in her hands, reading glasses slipping down her nose as she smiled guiltily. "Anna, hello. How has your morning been, dear?"

"It's been fine, but you –" Anna shook her head, gesturing wordless for a few moments as she reigned in her frustration. "You are _supposed to be sleeping_." The redhead wagged a finger at her blonde counterpart, who only giggled behind her hand and set her book aside.

Elsa patted the empty space next to her as her cat, Icicle, growled quietly, flicking his tail and looking suspiciously at the princess.

Anna stuck her tongue out at the cat, well used to his dislike of her by now, and crossed the room to sit beside the queen. "Why aren't you resting?" The younger tangled her fingers in Elsa's cooler ones, looking up at the pale sorceress.

"I know, I know, but I couldn't sleep. The pain was too much, and I couldn't just sit here in pain, tossing and turning." The queen rolled her eyes affectionately as her sister frowned, dissatisfied with that answer. She tried again, "I thought Icicle was going to go ballistic if I didn't stop moving around the bed. You know he _hates_ excitement," Elsa teased.

"You think you're so funny," Anna grumbled, glancing at the grey furball happily purring away with his head propped on Elsa's abandoned book.

"I do, in fact," Elsa said, smiling the less than amused look the princess sent her way.

Anna groaned quietly, hoping to express her displeasure without inciting the royal feline's painful wrath. "Whatever, Elsa. Are you feeling any better, at least?" She asked, looking again at the elder woman.

Elsa nodded, "A bit, yes. The medicine is helping some. I'll have a word with the physician after lunch and see what else he can give me. I think I'll be fine for my afternoon appointments." The queen leaned over and kissed her sister's cheek again, mentally filing away the blush that spread across freckled cheeks. "Thank you for standing in for me this morning."

"Of course," Anna replied, with the slightest of tremors in her voice, "Anything for my queen." The princess gave an exaggerated wink, aping seduction.

Elsa giggled again, shaking her head fondly at the redhead's antics. "I pray your service to me this day is not yet ended, fair maiden," the queen quirked her pale brow, knowing her formal words would send the younger into a stammering state of _something_ Elsa didn't not yet have a word for.

On cue, Anna's blush deepened and she pulled her hand free of the blonde's, standing and self-consciously adjusting her braids. "What – whatever my lady desires – _requires_. Requires." Anna mumbled the second time, looking everything but at her sister.

Deciding to spare the poor girl, Elsa just chuckled and pushed her blanket down, disturbing Icicle (who made his annoyance known) and standing from the bed as well. "Excellent," the queen said, brushing her hand against the small of Anna's back as she walked to the door, "I'd like you to sit in with me this afternoon, in case the pain intensifies again and I need to excuse myself." She glanced back to see Anna standing rigid in the same spot. Fighting another smile, Elsa feigned confusion, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah – I'm fine – perfectly fine," Anna startled, shaking her head and smiling shakily at the queen, "I'm peachy, in fact – oh, I wonder if there'll be peaches at lunch. Let's go see," the princess grabbed the blonde's hand and tugged her out of the room, chattering about nothing until the last of the pink faded from her face.

Elsa pretended not to notice, choosing instead to simply smile as the princess. _She's right, after all,_ Elsa thought, _there's no need for life or death situations. Perhaps simple moments of intimacy are best_. The blonde blushed at her own choice of words and turned her attention outward again.

"Elsa, are you listening to me?" Anna frowned, sounding exasperated as she squeezed the elder's hand, but continued on without giving time for a response. "_Like_ I was saying…."


End file.
